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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rest — what's left
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. ball — a dance
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com